Railroad-rail.



w. F. & A. R. KEEHL.

RAILROAD RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1907.

903,292. Patented Now-10, 1908.

E'woentow UNITED STATEB PATENT @FFIQE.

WILLIAM F. KEEHL AND AUGUST R. KEEHL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RAILROAD-RAIL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. KEEHL and AUGUST R. KEEHL, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Railroad-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad rails, and it has for its object to provide a rail of simple and improved construction consisting of two longitudinal parts or members adapted to be connected in such a manner as to break joints so that a rail constructed in this manner shall be particularly well adapted to re sist the strain of the rolling stock without liability to yield or to break in such a manner as to endanger the rolling stock passing over the track.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

Vfith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

ut that changes, alterations and modifica tions within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a erspective view of a rail section constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a pers ective detail view showing a portion of the base member of the rail.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved rail is composed of a base member A and a head member B.

The base member A includes a base flange 1 provided adjacent to the edges thereof with longitudinal ribs 2, 2 and having intermediate the edges a vertically disposed web portion 3 which is preferably slightly wedge shaped, as shown, being tapered in an upward direction.

The head member comprises the rail head 4 which is provided with downward extending web portions 5, 5, the inner walls of which are slightly divergent so as to fit closely upon the web portion 3 of the base member.

The web portions 5, 5, are provided at their lower edges with laterally extending flanges 6, 6, adapted to seat upon the base flange l of the base member, and provided adjacent to their outer edges with longitudinal grooves 7 for the reception of the ribs 2 at the outer edges of the base flange. The members A and B, when properly assembled, thus combine to form a rail of the conventional shape and sectional contour.

When assembled, the members A and B are united or securely connected with each other by means of clips C, C, arranged in pairs; said cli s being provided at their outer ends with hoo {S 8 embracing the edges of the flanges 1 and 6, and at their inner ends with downward extending lugs 9 having apertures 10 for the passage of connecting bolts 11. These cli s may be employed at intervals alon the ength of the rail, but they are preferabIy used adjacent to the ends of the component members A, B, of the rail, said mem bers being preferably arranged to break joints about midway of their lengths. In this manner the rail members will be firmly and securely united to form a structure which is well adapted to resist any strain to which it is liable to be subjected. The improved rails may be secured upon supporting ties, in the customary manner, by means of spikes; but the cross ties and the spikes have not been shown in the accompanying illustrations inasmuch as their use involves nothing more than a customary and well known construction.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. The construction is simple and inexpensive, and of such a nature that the component parts or members of the improved rail may be readily produced by the customary and well known rolling process. A track constructed with the improved rails may be laid without difficulty, and repairs may be conveniently made, when needed, by removing and replacing worn head members; the base members being practically not subjected to wear and therefore capable of indefinite use. The ribs 2, 2, which are en aged by the grooves 7 7, of the flan es of t e head member, will reinforce the atter and prevent it from spreading; and the slight taper oi the web portion'ol' the base member will cause the parts to become firmly united in such a manner as to resist the downward stress caused by the weight of rolling stock passing over the track.

We claim: 7 r

1. A railroad rail of the character described comprising a base-member and a head-member adapted to be so assembled as to break joints at suitable intervals; said base-member consisting of a horizontally disposed base-lange having longitudinal ribs adjacent to the side edges thereof and an intermediate upwardly tapered web-portion; and said head. member being provided with web-portions having inclined inner walls. en-

gagin the web of the base-member and provided with laterally extending flanges having grooves corresponding in cross-sectional area to that of the ribs upon the base-flange which are fitted in said rooves in combination with clips having fiange-engaging terminal hooks and downward extending "apertured lugs, and a connecting bolt.

2. A railroad rail of the character described comprising a base-member and a head-member adapted to be so assembled as to break joints at suitable intervals; said base-member comprising a base-flan e pro flange; and connecting means including clips provided with hooks engaging the overlapping and interengaging ribbed and grooved outer edges of the base flange and the webflanges. r

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. KEEHL. AUGUST R. KEEHL;

'Witnesses:

W. E. HUGE, W. T. LUGKOW. 

